Derek Fisher Wants Lamar Odom to Stay

According to the L.A. Times, Lakers guard Derek Fisher says he and other Lakers have contacted free-agent forward Lamar Odom to urge him to re-sign with the franchise. Sadi Fisher of Odom, “We want him back badly and I hope we can accomplish that in the next couple days.” One week after Lakers owner Jerry Buss withdrew an offer worth $9 million per season over four seasons (three guaranteed) or $10 million per season over three seasons, Odom remains an unsigned free agent. The Miami Heat has been wooing Odom and can offer him up to $34 million over five seasons and potential state income tax benefits, but some of the Lakers are hoping he’ll stay. “There’s no question that we need him back. We want him back. If those things are in place, hopefully we can just go and get this done and put this behind us and start working on 2009-10,” said Fisher.

Fisher sees Odom’s value as extending beyond his impressive playoffs stats, with 12.3 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists while playing 32 minutes per game in 23 playoff games, and when asked about the new acquisition of Ron Artest he said Artest would offer needed strength and size “for the untimely lack of re-signing of Lamar.” Fisher continued to praise Odom saying, “As much credit as sometimes I get — probably more than I should — as far as my importance to the team from a spiritual perspective in our locker room and whatnot, I think Lamar is equally important. His personality and the way he carries himself … Lamar is a very caring person and a lot of times he cares more about other people than himself. To have a guy like that in the locker room, a lot of times he’s an example for a lot of other guys on our team. And what he went through this past year, going to the bench — and I mean he’s an all-star caliber player — and in a contract year to come off the bench and he’d never done it before in his career, he did it as well as anybody could ever do it and his team won a championship at the same time.”

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